Sal, my memory is at least as bad as yours but Talayna's figures very large in the memories I do have. Mike Talayna was initiated in '72 or '73 (by Michael Blitz, I think, but maybe it was Steve Boss) and he was totally enthusiastic about TM. He'd let the initiators eat at Talayna's for free whenever he was at the restaurant. He was a total young buck Italian Mafioso with the open collar shirts, tight polyester pants, one of those squiggly horn pendants on a gold chain and huge, infectious charm.
I do remember that for months after he learned TM, when I'd be giving introductory lectures at Wash U., he'd come in (generally well after the lecture had started), ushering one or two dark suited, older Italian men in hats and make them listen to me (or one of the other initiators) talk about TM's benefits. None of these older (presumed) Mafiosos ever started and it was obvious that they were totally uninterested in what we were talking about but Mike T. was indefatigable; you could see he was putting all his influence into getting these guys to start meditation, talking to them earnestly after the lecture and introducing them to the young, scrubbed face initiators. It was a total movie. The Arundel center was just up the road (Skinker) from Wash U., past the Vedanta Center, less than a half-mile away; a big, grey stucco house in one of the gated neighborhoods that ran along Forest Park. It was a great time and an absolute trip. If you participated in any center event or advanced lecture or anything like that, I'm sure that our paths crossed. Cool. Marek ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Sal Sunshine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Nov 18, 2007, at 8:41 PM, Marek Reavis wrote: > > > Sal, I used to lecture on the Wash U. campus once a week -- Crow > > Hall comes to mind -- > > does that sound right to you? Where did you learn, at the center > > on Arundel or at the > > Husch's house on Polo? Who was your initiator? Did you ever > > volunteer at the center? > > > > Very cool, indeed. I'd love to hear your STL stories from that time. > > Marek, > As you can imagine, not much from that time sounds too familiar at > this point. :) The intro lecture was in the big building on the > right side of the quad as you were looking towards the city, in the > auditorium there where they taught Western Civ, Intro to Music, as > well as a number of other big lecture courses--beautiful old > building, I think the administration building was at right angles to it. > > Don't recall the center on Arundel, never volunteered as I was too > busy with school. > > Remember Talayna's, the pizza place just across the street from the > quad? We hung out there quite a bit. I also remember a number of > fancy homes on, I think, Lindell Blvd, in an area that had seen > better times and in which some students were living. > Sal >
